1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to electronic timepieces and, more specifically, to an electronic timepiece, such as a watch, for displaying help information.
The present invention relates to an electronic watch for displaying help information.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A functional block diagram of a conventional electronic watch is shown in FIG. 15. By operating an oscillation circuit 1501, a fixed frequency inputted to a frequency dividing circuit 1502 is divided into various frequencies and a counting circuit 1503 counts the time, chronograph, countdown timer, and the like in accordance with the signals of the divided various frequencies. The counting information counted by the counting circuit 1503 is then converted into an indication drive signal and displayed on an indicating portion 1512 due to an indication drive circuit 1511. By operating a functional switch 1505, an input circuit 1506 converts whichever switch was pressed into switch information, and a functional selection circuit, in accordance with the converted switch information and set information that is stored in the set information storage circuit 1510, selects functions such as a start-count and stop-count function of the counting circuit 1503, a correction function of the counting information, and a function of change and request output of the set information stored in the set information storage circuit 1510. A function output circuit 1507 controls the counting circuit and changes set information in the set information storage circuit 1510. Additionally, the set information is outputted by a set information output circuit 1509 and is then displayed on the indicating portion 1512 after being converted into indication drive signals due to the indication drive circuit 1511. The set information storage circuit 1510 is composed of a RAM and the counting information output circuit 1504, the function output circuit 1507, the function selection circuit 1508, and the set information output circuit 1509 are composed of a ROM by programmed microcomputers. The functions of these circuits are realized when a CPU carries out the calculation process.
In the foregoing conventional electronic watch, operations became complicated since there were only a few buttons when various functions starting with chronograph, countdown timer, and so forth were added. Hence, there is a problem in that when a user wants to use a certain function, regardless of the user""s intention to operate if the user does not know how to operate, or cannot remember the operation method of that function, the user has to look into the manual for the appropriate passage and to read the manual. Moreover, there arises a problem in that even though the user would like to conduct the operation, if the user does not know how to operate, or cannot remember the operation method, the user must carry the manual around with him and if the user does not have the manual with him, the user cannot help abandoning the operation of that function. Additionally, there arises a problem in that due to operation errors, stored information such as measured data, memo, and others are erased from the storage.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, firstly, the present invention takes a structure which comprises: an oscillation circuit; a frequency dividing circuit for dividing the output of the oscillation circuit; a counting circuit for counting the time, chronograph, countdown timer, and the like in accordance with the various frequency signals outputted from the frequency dividing circuit; a counting information output circuit for outputting the counting information by the counting circuit to an indication drive circuit; a set information storage circuit for storing modes and various set information; at least 2 or more functional switches with several functions serving as an external operation for setting modes and various conditions, the start and stop counting of the counting circuit, and for correcting the counting information; an input circuit for converting that whichever the switch was pressed into switch information by operating a functional switch; a function selection circuit for selecting functions such as the start and stop function of the counting of the counting circuit in accordance with switch information which was converted by the input circuit and the set information stored in the set information storage circuit, the correction function of the counting information, and the function, to change and request output of set information of the set information storage circuit; a function output circuit for outputting an operation command to the counting circuit when functions to give an operating command to the counting circuit such as the start and stop function of the counting circuit, the correction function of the counting information, and the like from the function selection circuit is selected; a set information output circuit for outputting set information of the set information storage circuit to an indication drive circuit; an indication drive circuit for converting counting information outputted from the counting information output circuit and set information outputted from the set information output circuit into drive signals of the indicating portion; an indicating portion for indicating counting information and set information in accordance with the drive signals of the indication drive circuit; a help information storage circuit for storing the help information constituted by a character-string information describing the switch information and functions of the switch which is classified in accordance with the mode and setting conditions; a help information selection circuit for selecting help information stored in the help information storage circuit in accordance with the mode and various setting conditions stored in the set information storage circuit; a help information output circuit for outputting help information selected by the help information selection circuit to the indication drive circuit; and a help switch serving as an external operation for requesting help information.
When a user operates the help switch, the mode and setting conditions immediately before the help switch stored in the set information storage circuit is operated are inputted to the help information selection circuit. Next, the help information selection circuit selects the help information relevant to the above-mentioned mode and setting conditions from the help information storage circuit. Then, the above selected help information is outputted to the help information circuit and indicated on the indicating portion through the indication drive circuit.
Secondly, in addition to the first structure of the present invention, the present invention takes a structure which comprises: a help information counting circuit for counting the frequency of completion of outputting help information and a help information counting comparison circuit for comparing the repeat frequency of help information output stored in the set information storage circuit with the count value of help information counting circuit, to thereby, if the count value is coincident therewith, output an output stop command of the help information, while if the count value is not coincident therewith, to return to the initially indicated help information to repeatedly request an output of the help information,
By storing the frequency of the repeatedly outputted help information in the set information storage circuit, help information can be outputted repeatedly according to the number of frequencies the user needs.